Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-08
THE KISSAHE CASE.
A ROMANCE OF CRnIE-THE REAL
NAME OF THE ALLEGED
CRIMINAL.

A ROMANCE OF CRIAIE-THE REAL
NAME OF THE ALLEGED
CRIMINAL.
The case OF William Kssane,
W bich is surprised with so much
r0ystery, and which was heard in
New York Friday before Recorder
Smyth, has attracted much atten-
ton in California. This is due to
the tact that Kissane is SAID, and
now is known, to be one Of the mos,
prominent and wealthy citizens of
California. Kissane's counsel in
New York is endeayoring TO have
all Indictment for forgery. which
has been pending against kissane
since 1854, mol pressed. a prOmi-
nent gentleman of San Francisco,
who knows Kissane well. and who
knew him in the East, and who has
been a severe sufferer by Kissane,
saws that Kissane is one of the most
prominent aud wealthy citizens OF
Sonoma county, California, and
that his half.brOther is a prominent
attorney. 1t is well known to Ger
tain parties that Kissane has been
guilty of felony since his arrival in
California. He is unrepentant, and
seeks only the removal of the legal
disabilities and penalty for his past
| II, - efil1 nnIa~ innipf
ment for murder in Arkansas, re-
sulting from the great loss of life
by the burning Of the steamer Mar
tina Washington, bound from Gin
cinnati for New Orleans, near Hell
ena. Ark, on the night of Jan. u,
1852. He was, in January, 1898,
together with some others, placed
or, trial for conspiracy to deiraUd
insurance companies by means OF
insuring fictitious cargoes said to
have been lost by the burning OF
the steamer Martha Washington.
Fl was convicted on three Occa-
siDns in CincinnatiOn these charges,
but each time managed to evade
TIN @ law. After this he was arrest
ed for murder and taken to Helena,
Ark, but owing to lack of funds,
ard the failure to provide an APP
preparation for his prosecution, he
again escaped the clutches OF the
law. The next heard of him was
in connection with his fOrgeries on
tn G Chemical Bank of New York,
in August, 1854, for which he was
arrested and sentenced to Sing
Sing prison. While in Sing Sing
Kissane offered TO make a full con-
fession of the Martha Washington
steamboat conspiracy and to con-
firm the same on the witness stand.
For this reason he was liberated
and thereafter made a full cOnfes.
sion of the steamer conspiracy. the
burning of the boat and the efforts
TO secure the insurance. His gang
was one of the most complete or
CARNATIONS eyer known in this
country. When the confession was
made known it caused consterna-
ton. Kissane himself violated his
promises to the insurance cOmpa-
MES and fed to Nicaragua, where,
under an assumed name, it was re.
ported he had been shot. His ca
reer in California under another as.
sumed name is well known, and all
his connections. business, and mar
rage, are equally well known, he
J having acquired enormous wealth.
General barr, of San Francisco,
who is perfectly familiar with KS
sane's career, states that on his first
seeing Kissane IN California, two
years ago, he Immediately identi-
fed him, but ont of consideration
for Kissane's family and cOnnec-
lions he persistently refused TO
make any statement IN regard to
him, hoping he would make restltu-
ton to those he had ruined.
A dispatch from San Francisco
states that Kissane is a rich land
owner in SOnOma county named
VIM. X. Rogers. a Cleveland DIS
patch says that Kissane in 1871
was engaged with others in the
wholesale boot and shoe business
in Cincinnati and formed cOnspi-
racy to defrand insurance cOmpa-
MES. They purchased the steamer
Martha Washington, loaded her
with a cargo which they invOiced
as boots, shoes and wool, but which
was composed of boxes filled with
rubbish, and got the captain to fire
her when en- route. Sixteen lives
we're lost. The insurance cOmpa.
MES we're about 20 pay the claims
when Sidney Burton, one of kis.
sane's creditors, communicated his
suspicious to the companies, and
then devoted himself to the task OF
ferreting out the crime. Strange
to say, in spite of the testimony,
the jury brought in a verdict of ac-
quittal.
Burton wrote a book on the case,
which, however, was never pub
lished. The cOnspirators tried to
buy him over to silence, but he re-
solved to bring them to Justice, and
in the effort expended $4,000 of
his own money, and in his pursuit
of the gang travelled 10000 miles.
In the summer OF 1885 he visited
New York, where, II is said. he was
watched by Kissane's agents. Ear
! " in the fall he was attacked by a
mysterious illness and returned to
bis home in Cincinnati, where he
died in December, 1885. 10 was
charged that he was poisoned by
Kissane's agents. Among the pa.
pers in the possession of Mrs.
Frances II. Bowman, a daughter OF
Burton, is a letter from General
Francis Il. A. Darr, of San Francis
co, dated July 2, 1886, in which he
says his factory in Cincinnati was
destroyed in 1851 by the incendlary
act of VIM. Kissane, who, ne also
charges, poisoned Burton.
A Petersburg Politician Shot,